yoga retreat (n.)

4. a place of rejuvenation, rest, exploration, connection, freedom, and joy

If you are curious about the growing popularity of yoga retreats, or wondering why people are investing heavily in these excursions, please re-read the list above. If it still seems mind boggling to you, you may skip ahead to the next page.

We all can relate to the overwhelming sense of relief that occurs when the clocks ticks and we are officially on vacation. We yearn for that moment when we finally get to silence our cell phones and be ‘off duty’ from the world - ahhhhhhh.

It’s addicting. When we remove ourselves from our routines - from the to-do lists, news broadcasts, crazy co-workers, family members, social media posts, fad diets and all of the other ways that we are being told to be different than who we are – we allow our bodies to catch back up with our minds. We clear up space to breathe, to let some of the striving for perfection go, and to live in a state of contentment that is not so easily disrupted.

Now, imagine being on vacation, still enjoying the relaxation, rest, sunshine, fresh food, and freedom, but adding yoga to your daily routine. You are already in paradise; why not let yourself truly connect to the present moment and experience joy. Practicing yoga on a retreat will not only boost feelings of happiness and gratitude, it will impact your life – the one you eventually have to return to.

When we travel, we are more connected to our authentic selves - living by the beat of our own hearts. Yoga brings this awareness to the forefront of our minds so that we may understand who we really are. Remove the distractions of ‘real life’ and we discover ‘real soul.’ As we begin to move and breathe on our mats in this new way in a foreign land, we have the potential to tap into our intuition and see our paths more clearly. Some of the most powerful visions and manifestations begin on our mats on yoga retreats. It’s like having a magic pair of glasses that allow you to see past all of the layers into what lies inside your heart at the core.